Castle Corona by Sharon Creech Here is a beautifully illuminated story with similarly formal and poetic language. In a castle high on a hill live a king and queen with their three children, none of them terribly likeable or happy with where they are. In the village below live two orphan children, trying to remember the family they once had and wishing that they lived in the castle. One day the shout of “Thief” goes through the village. Everyone, in the castle and village, tries to find out what has been stolen, who the thief is and what they should do about it. The king consults his hermit; the queen decides she wants a hermit of her own. The two princes want to do different things, both from each other and from what they have been doing; the princess wonders what use it is to be beautiful. And the two children wonder what to do with a pouch they have found. Short chapters that alternate between characters create a sense of urgency, but this book is really more about the characters and the questions about life than the fairly obvious plot. This dreamy tale will be a favorite put in the hands of the right child at the right time.